Apple has announced a significant price increase for its various subscription services, including Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and Apple News Plus, as well as its bundled service, Apple One. This marks the second price hike for Apple TV Plus in its four-year history, and it comes on the heels of similar price increases by several other streaming platforms.
Apple TV Plus: Subscribers of Apple's original content streaming service, Apple TV Plus, are in for a surprise as the monthly subscription fee rises from $7 to $10. This 43% increase also affects annual subscriptions, which are now priced at $99, up from the previous $69. Apple TV Plus has been the home of acclaimed shows such as "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and "Shrinking."
Apple Arcade and Apple News Plus: Apple Arcade, the company's gaming subscription service, sees its monthly fee increase from $5 to $7. Simultaneously, Apple News Plus, the subscription that provides access to a range of news sources, now costs $13 per month, up from $10. This marks the first time these services have experienced a price hike.
Apple One: Apple's bundled service, Apple One, which includes Apple TV Plus, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and iCloud storage, is also affected. The Individual plan now costs $20 per month, up from $17, and includes 50GB of iCloud storage. The Family plan, with 200GB of storage, rises to $26 per month from $23. The Premier plan, which adds Fitness Plus and News Plus subscriptions along with 2TB of iCloud storage, sees the most significant increase, moving from $33 to $38 per month.
The price changes have already taken effect in the United States and other countries, including Canada. For Canadian subscribers, Apple TV Plus rises from $9 to $13 per month, Apple Arcade increases from $6 to $9, and Apple News Plus goes from $13 to $17 per month.
Apple's subscription revenue reached $21 billion in the second quarter, indicating the growing importance of these services to the company's overall revenue. However, Apple Music, Apple Fitness Plus, and iCloud Plus have not seen price increases during this round.
While the price hikes might be disappointing to subscribers, they are in line with a trend in the streaming industry. Other major services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Discovery Plus, and HBO Max have also raised their prices in recent times.
